Commissioned in 2000 by Zurich Capital Markets,
an investment company based in New York, ecosystm takes data ZCM
uses every day, re-purposing it to drive a 3d environmental simulation
viewers explore using a joystick.

ecosystm consists of flocks of "birds"
(each flock representing a country's currency) and branching "tree" structures
(each tree representing a country's leading market index). As a market
index advances, the tree grows new branches. If the index declines,
branches begin to fall off the tree. Similarly, a currency's current
value against the dollar is indicated by an increase or decrease in the
population of the flock.

The flocks also exhibit certain behavioral
patterns determined by the volatility of their currency. Volatility
is a common financial analysis equation that examines values over time
periods. A currency is considered volatile when its value fluctuates
considerably over a given period. In ecosystm, daily volatility
determines the territory the flock occupies. If a currency is stable,
the flock has an expansive territory and can fly throughout it in a graceful
manner. If, however, the currency is volatile, the flock becomes
very "excited", and their available territory is considerably reduced in
size. In addition to this, a currency's daily volatility is compared
to its yearly volatility, which in certain cases produces exceptional behaviors.
If the daily volatility exceeds twice the yearly volatility, the flock
is "hungry" and it "feeds" on its country's leading market index (as represented
by the trees). If the daily volatility exceeds the three times the
yearly, the flock becomes "aggressive" and attacks a neighboring flock.

As an added visual element, the current weather
conditions at JFK airport determine the "weather" inside ecosystm.
Runway visibility and cloud cover directly effect visibility and cloud
layering in ecosystm.